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Jiawei Lai
Jiawei Lai

Chasing the Starlight

6 months

1:02 am 5/18/2018, in the wilderness of Joshua Tree National Park, California. After hours of scouting location at daytime, I was able to find this unique scene with a dozen Joshua Trees and hills. To make sure that I get the composition I want, I used a phone app which predicts the exact location of the milky way. This shot was created by only one exposure. I used my phone to light up the landscape. 10 hours of preparation + 10s exposure + 5 mins edit, I finally got the image in my head.

#desert #night #california #stars #adventure #space #places #milkyway #lightpainting #joshuatree

Chasing the starlight — I love the title. Even at 1:02AM, I love how you followed the light in the night sky. I applaud the preparation in your effort: from scouting this location to using a phone app to predict the location of the Milky Way. Fantastic job using your smartphone to illuminate the foreground landscape. Very well done. Paired with your image featuring the Los Angeles skyline, I bet they look beautiful framed big hanging on the wall of your home.

David Lee
Producer, Nat Geo Your Shot
Jiawei Lai's Photos (257)
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